The high cost and big payoff of part-time programs

Karina Ling had never thought of herself as a morning person. Yet, twice a week, she’d voluntarily wake up at 4:30 a.m. to begin getting ready for class. A student of Rotman School of Management’s Morning MBA, a program that caters to professionals, Ling would attend a morning lecture before heading to her full-time job. Her evenings were dedicated to completing readings, group work and assignments, as well as attending club meetings or speaker series. For three years, Ling followed this arduous routine in order to complete her MBA.

“It was one of the toughest experiences of my life. It’s crazy, because if you’re not working, you’re doing school or vice-versa,” says Karina Ling, who attended morning lectures to complete her MBA.

By:JESSICA WYNNE LOCKHARTSPECIAL TO THE STAR, Published on Thu Sep 06 2012

Karina Ling had never thought of herself as a morning person. Yet, twice a week, she’d voluntarily wake up at 4:30 a.m. to begin getting ready for class. A student of Rotman School of Management’s Morning MBA, a program that caters to professionals, Ling would attend a morning lecture before heading to her full-time job. Her evenings were dedicated to completing readings, group work and assignments, as well as attending club meetings or speaker series. For three years, Ling followed this arduous routine in order to complete her MBA.

“It was one of the toughest experiences of my life. It’s crazy, because if you’re not working, you’re doing school or vice-versa,” Ling, 33, recalls. “It’s really, really hard.”

For working professionals looking to accelerate their careers, part-time MBA programs allow students to “learn and earn.” While full-time students are typically younger, part-time programs attract individuals with an average of five or more years of career experience.

Although Rotman’s morning program is a unique opportunity for students to attend class prior to their workday, most business schools offer evening and weekend part-time programs. Through these options, students can work toward their degrees, all without giving up their main source of income. For some students, workplace sponsorship programs are available, which also helps to lighten the burden of tuition.

However, while there are innumerable financial benefits to remaining in the workforce while completing an MBA — which can cost up to $85,000 in tuition alone — the physical, emotional and mental toll it takes on students comes at a high cost.

“Students do struggle,” says David Goldreich, academic director of Rotman’s Morning and Evening MBA programs. Goldreich says that typically, over the course of the three-year program, every student experiences a “crisis” at some point as the result of struggling to manage work, career and life balance. In addition to attending class, students are also expected to fully engage in the program through attending evening speaker series, joining clubs and completing group work outside the classroom.

“People should know what they’re getting themselves into,” Goldreich says. “It’s not simply sign on the dotted line and then the knowledge will magically appear in your brain.”

High school math teacher and marathon runner Brendan Kenny chose to complete his Finance MBA part-time DeGroote School of Business. But while attending school on evenings and weekends meant increased financial stability, it also meant accepting 12 to 18-hour workdays as his new norm.

“You really have to love what you’re doing,” Kenny, 26, says. “Having that passion and drive is what’s necessary to be successful to study part-time for an MBA.”

“There is no such thing as work-life balance if you want to be successful,” he says, laughing. “You’re going to class. You’re coming to work and you have to juggle all this with your personal life. And it’s absolutely chaotic.” He says that without the support of his family, friends and employer, participating in the program wouldn’t be possible.

But although “crazy” is the word that Ling and Kanozi both use to describe the experience, for students dedicated to advancing their careers, the workload is an invaluable — albeit stressful — part of their education. Ling, for one, believes that managing her hectic schedule had inherent value.

“You’re forced to make really tough decisions; what work is going to get done, how much you’re going to sleep or if you’re going to get to see your friends and family,” she says. “I think it’s by design. For people who really want to be a leader or a manager, it’s all about learning to juggle priorities and make decisions.”

Beyond decision-making and time-management skills, part-time students also have another advantage over their full-time counterparts — rather than being restricted to textbook learning, they’re able to practise new management techniques and strategies in the workplace. “You learn these theories in class, but then you can directly apply them and test them out in your job — and not two days later, but immediately,” says Kanozi.

Goldreich says that this ability to apply learning on the job and demonstrate improved leadership skills is why many part-time students experience career advancement and promotions before they even graduate.

While still in the program, Ling, who was named valedictorian of Rotman’s part-time MBA program, was promoted in her role at Rogers to manager of Organizational Development Department in HR.

“There were other factors leading to my promotion, but I know that my MBA program helped to equip me with the skills, knowledge and experience to earn the promotion,” says Ling. “Even though it was so difficult, I would do it exactly the same way [again] if I was given the chance.”